


i'm in the corner, watching you kiss her

by nickbonino



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, dex gets less sad, dex is sad, dex plays the guitar, nursey is kind of a goober but it's okay, ransom is a really great friend and i love him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 14:39:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11015457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickbonino/pseuds/nickbonino
Summary: i posted "do you ever think about dex curled up in a corner plucking at his guitar and whispering the lyrics to dancing on my own through his tears as he thinks about nursey because i do constantly and i gotta tell you it fucks me up" on tumblrand then this happened





	i'm in the corner, watching you kiss her

**Author's Note:**

> this is the version dex sings ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31tGyBJhRY)) and this is the version playing at the kegster ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J294A-R1Cjk))
> 
> originally posted [here](http://asexualdex.tumblr.com/post/155829127574/asexualdex-do-you-ever-think-about-dex-curled-up)

Dex has been sitting cross-legged on the Haus couch for half an hour now. Holster’s old guitar rests comfortably across his lap and he plucks at the strings half-heartedly. He’s pretty sure the only person home is Ransom, who’s been unconscious since his last exam finished yesterday afternoon. Dex brushes his fingers across the strings of the guitar more forcefully, trying to distract himself from thinking about last night. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t work and as he tries to shake the images from his head his right hand finds the frets for a C chord.

 _“Somebody said you got a new friend,”_ Dex sings softly as he strums, giving in and letting the memories of the night before wash over him.

***

The music is loud. The bass reverberates through Dex’s body as he leans against the wall of the living room. He’s not particularly paying attention to the lyrics, some pop song about watching someone kiss someone else. He’s more focused on Nursey across the room from him. He’s standing at the bottom of the stairs, casually resting against the banister and grinning as a girl from the football team continues to lean up against him. She twists her fingers around her braids and smiles back at Nursey. And Dex knows exactly what’s going to happen next.

_I’m in the corner, watching you kiss her._

Watching Nursey wrap one arm round the girl’s waist and cup her cheek with other, slowly leaning forward to kiss her, knocks the breath out of Dex. Suddenly, the stupid song playing is all too mocking and he’s all too aware that he’s starting to slump against the wall as the football player turns Nursey to firmly press him against the stair railings. Dex needs to leave.

“Woah, Dex. Where you goin’?” Ransom catches him by the arm as he reaches the front door, stopping him entirely too close to Nursey and the whole situation for Dex’s liking.

Dex’s breathing is coming in short sharp bursts and he can feel his eyes welling up as he makes the mistake of glancing in Nursey’s direction again. Ransom’s eyes follow his gaze and soften as soon as he realises what’s happening.

“You okay, man?” Ransom asks as gently as he can over the sound of the bass. 

Dex’s voice breaks on the ‘no’ he throws to Ransom and he pulls his arm from the senior’s grip. Dex barrel’s through the door and out into the spring night. His feet pick up speed and his tears begin to flow freely as he heads towards his apartment and tries to quash all thoughts of Derek Nurse.

It doesn’t work.

***

Dex doesn’t realise he’s crying again until he can barely make it through the second chorus of the song. His hands are shaking as he plucks at the strings, his voice wobbles on every word, breaking more often than not through his sobs.

 _“You don’t see me, standing he-“._ He breaks off on the last word and pushes the guitar to the side. He rests his elbows on his knees and, burying his face in his hands, muffles his cries as they rack his body.

“Yo, did I hear singing?” A voice sounds from the stairs. “Holtzy, is that you-holy shit.”

Ransom comes to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. Dex knows Ransom can see his shoulder’s shaking over the back of the couch but he can’t bring himself to face his friend. Instead, Dex pulls his knees up to his chest, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“Dex, bro, what’s happening?” Ransom asks as he makes his way around the couch to stand in front of him. “Will, did someone die?” He continues, his voice softer than before. 

Dex just shakes his head as well as he can with his face pressed into his palms and the backs of his hands squashed against his knees. He eventually manages to take a deep enough breath to whisper the word _‘Nursey’_ before another sob tears through him. 

“Oh shit,” Ransom breathes quietly.

Dex hears the guitar being moved from the couch to the floor and feels the dip to his right as a weight settles next to him. Ransom wraps an arm around the back of Dex’s shoulders and pulls him gently into his side. Before Dex even understands what’s happening, Ransom slips his other arm under Dex’s knees and pulls the ginger boy’s legs across his lap. Dex tenses for a moment, unused to such unguarded and earnest comfort. But as Ransom seems to realise his hesitation and starts to pull away, Dex melts into his embrace, pressing his face into Ransom’s neck. 

Focusing on the scent of Ransom’s laundry detergent and the soft feeling of his collar against his nose, Dex lets himself cry into his captain’s shoulder. Ransom, for his part, appears to take this all in stride. He tenderly rubs small circles across Dex’s back and rocks them slightly, whispering _‘you’re going to be okay, it’s going to be okay’._

Eventually, Dex’s tears peter out although he makes no attempt to move.

“Thanks, Ransom. I’m sorry you had to deal with all…this,” he mumbles awkwardly. He tries to remind himself that Ransom and Holster cuddle like this on a daily basis and that Ransom would never try to embarrass him because of what just happened.

“Got your back, bro. Whatever you need.” Ransom replies, and Dex can _feel_ the sincerity in his voice.

The affection in Ransom’s voice causes the warning sting of tears to return but before he can thank him again or worse, start blubbering, the Haus door slams open.

Derek Nurse has terrible timing.

“I hate it when Bitty visits Jack for long weekends. Man, where’s my pie smell?” Nursey complains in lieu of a greeting. His footsteps then abruptly halt in a similar manner to Ransom’s as he sees Dex pressed up against one of his captains on the sofa. Dex feels Ransom twist his head round to face Nursey and hopes whatever silent conversation they’re having with their eyes doesn’t need to involve him any time soon.

“Um, k,” Nursey stutters, confusion evident.

Ransom sighs against Dex and begins to carefully untangle himself from Dex’s many limbs strewn over him.

“I’ll be back in a sec, bro,” Ransom murmurs, to which Dex just nods, tucking himself back into a ball in the corner of the couch.

Dex hears the two D-men make their way into the kitchen. He makes out Nursey asking _‘did someone die? Oh god, it wasn’t his Gramms, was it?’_ before the kitchen door shuts behind them.

Eventually, exhaustion begins to take over; a combination of last night’s kegster and emotional outburst causing Dex to begin to drift in and out of consciousness as he waits for Ransom to return. Hopefully to tell him that Nursey still remains completely unaware of his dumb crush and that he just made up some story about why Dex was sad.

He’s only jolted awake when he hears Nursey’s panicked voice.

“I made him cry! Oh _god!_ ”

Well, _so much for hoping Ransom wouldn’t spill_ , Dex thinks as he curls his arms around his legs and pulls them tighter against his body.

Just as Dex is beginning debating the merits of moving back to Maine to avoid the inevitable heartache when Nursey ‘lets him down easy’, the kitchen door swings open and rapid footfalls can be heard crossing the hallway and rounding the couch.

“You-you’re crying because of me?” Nursey asks, his voice more timid and less chill than Dex has ever heard it.

Dex slowly raises his head from his knees, painfully aware of how he must look. Red eyes, tear-tracked cheeks, face tacky. Nursey himself looks kind of dazed. He nods.

“You’re crying because I kissed Ayana?”

Dex feels more tears building behind his eyes but he pushes them down as he nods again.

“Because you like me?” Nursey stumbles over this question. “As in, _like-like_ me?”

The tears make a valiant and successful effort to ignore Dex’s attempts to stave them off and they begin to roll down his cheeks. He breaks eye contact with Nursey and instead looks down at his hands. But, again, he nods.

“Because you think I like Ayana and you don’t know that we only made out because she just broke up with her girlfriend and I was trying to get over my feelings for you?” This question rushes out of Nursey’s mouth like he’s both afraid to say it but is also dying to.

Dex’s head shoots back up so fast he’s kind of worried he’s given himself whiplash.

“You what?” He whispers, his voice hoarse from crying.

Nursey takes a deep breath, “I was trying to get you out of my head because-because I’m so gone on you that it hurts.” Dex is pretty sure Nursey is shaking.

Dex is also pretty sure he’s forgotten how to breathe. Not that it matters anyway because this is obviously a clear indication that he’s dying and this entire situation is something his poor brain whipped up in his last few living moments. 

“Dex?” Dex doesn’t remember closing his eyes but when he opens them Nursey is a lot closer than he was before. Dex looks down at him, kneeling on the floor in front of the gross couch, his hand hovering above Dex’s knee like he wants to touch but isn’t sure if he’s allowed.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you. I’m sorry I kissed Ayana. I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you how I felt six months ago,” Nursey doesn’t look away, even after he’s finished talking. He looks earnest and sad and desperate.

Dex feels his brain reboot.

“Six months?” Dex asks, stunned.

Nursey just laughs, somewhat self-depreciatingly.

“Yup, I’ve been pining like a loser, dude,” he grins up at Dex.

“Not as much of a loser as me.” Nursey looks at him questioningly. “I’ve been in love with you since Spring Break.”

“But that was like less than two months ag-“

“Last year,” Dex cuts in.

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah.”

The pause is awkward. Dex isn’t sure how to progress from here. They’ve both laid their cards on the table, they’re on the same page, but from the nervous look in Nursey’s eye, he’s not going to be the one to take the next step. 

“Nurse, it’s been a rough day, I’m just going to kiss you. Roll with it.” This is all the warning Dex gives him before he leans down to press his mouth against Nursey’s slightly slack expression.

Nursey gasps into Dex’s mouth and immediately clutches at his thigh with the hand that had been hovering over Dex’s leg. His other hand comes up to curl around the back of Dex’s neck, pulling him closer. Dex scrunches up his eyes and he continues to press kisses to Nursey’s lips, his hands cupping Nursey’s face, not letting him move away (not that either of them want to).

After a while, their intensity dims and their exchange of sweet kisses slows to a halt. They pull back slightly, their faces remaining only inches apart, smiling so hard it’s painful. Dex leans forward again to press a gentle kiss to Nursey’s cheek and he feels the other boy sigh contentedly.

Eventually Nursey pulls back far enough for Dex to see the growing grin on his face.

“What.” Dex doesn’t even attempt to pose it as a question. 

“So, Rans said you were playing the guitar. Now that I’m your boyfriend does this mean you’ll finally sing to me?” Nursey’s tone appears light and mischievous but Dex doesn’t miss the way his voice catches on the word boyfriend, like he’s scared Dex will contradict him. Nor does Dex miss the way it makes his own heart jump.

“Nope, I take it back. This was an awful idea,” Dex exclaims, grinning at Nursey and then leaning forward to capture his mouth again.

Nursey pulls back long enough to murmur, “One day, Poindexter. One day, you will sing to me.”

Dex has no doubt about it.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](https://asexualdex.tumblr.com) :)


End file.
